The parish council has a wide range of powers that it can exercise, but not all are appropriate to a parish of this size. Below is a list of these powers and activities. The Parish Council can do any of these things. However, money to do any of these activities has to be raised through the precept (taxation).
Function |
Powers & Duties |
Statutory Provision |
| Allotments | Powers to provide
allotments Duty to consider providing allotment gardens if demand unsatisfied. |
Smallholdings & Allotments Act 1908, s.23 |
| Baths and wash houses | Power to provide public baths and wash houses | Public Health Act 1936, ss.221, 222, 223 and 227 |
| Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria | Power to acquire, provide and
maintain Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials Power to contribute towards expenses of cemeteries |
Open
Spaces Act 1906, ss9 and 10
Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970, s1. Local Government Act 1972, s.214 |
| Bus shelters | Power to provide and maintain shelters | Local Government (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 1952, s.4
Parish Councils Act 1957,3 s.1 |
| Bye laws | Power to provide bye laws for:
Pleasure grounds Cycle parks Baths and wash houses Open spaces and burial grounds |
Public Health Act 1975, s.164 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.57(7) Public Health Act 1936, s.223 Open Spaces Act 1906, s.15 |
| Charities | Duties regarding parochial charities | Charities Act 1993 s.79 |
| Christmas lights | Power to provide to attract visitors | Local Government Act 1972 s.144 |
| Citizens Advice Bureau | Power to support | Local Government Act 1972, s.142 |
| Clocks | Power to provide public locks | Parish Councils Act 1957, s.2 |
| Closed churchyards | Powers to maintain | Local Government Act 1972, s.215 |
| Commons and common pastures | Powers in relation to enclosure, regulation and management, and provide common pasture | Inclosure Act 1945 Local Government Act 1894, s.8(4) Smallholdings and Allotments Act 19908, s.34 |
| Conference facilities | Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities | Local Government Act 1972, ss.144 |
| Community centres | Power to provide and equip
community buildings Power to provide buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives |
Local Government Act 1972,
s.133 Local Government (Miscellasneous Provisions) Act 1976, s.19 |
| Crime Prevention | Powers to spend money on various crime prevention measures | Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.31 |
| Drainage | Power to deal with ponds and ditches | Public Health Act 1936, s.260 |
| Entertainment and the arts | Provision of entertainment and support of the arts including festivals and celebrations | Local Government Act 1972, s.145 |
| Gifts | Power to accept | Local Government Act 1972, s.139 |
| Highways | Power to repair and maintain public footpaths and
bridle-ways Power to light roads and public places Power to provide parking places for vehicles, bicycles and motor-cycles Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening Power to provide roadside seats and shelters Power to complain to district councils regarding protection of rights of way and roadside waste Power to provide traffic signs and other notices Power to plant trees etc. and to maintain roadside verges |
Highways Act 1980, ss.43, 50 Parish Councils Act 1957, s.3 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.57 Highways Act 1980, s.30 Parish Councils Act 1957, s.1 Highways Act 1980, s.130 (6) Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.72 Highways Act 1980, s.96 |
| Investments | Power to participate in schemes of collective investment | Trustee 1961, s.11 |
| Land | Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to
dispose of land Power to accept gifts of land |
Local Government Act 1972, ss.124, 126,
127 Local Government Act 1972, s.139 |
| Litter | Provision of receptacles | Litter Act 1983, ss.5, 6 |
| Lotteries | Powers to promote | Lotteries and Amusement Act 1976, s.7 |
| Mortuaries and post mortem rooms | Powers to provide mortuaries and post mortem rooms | Public Health Act 1936, s.198 |
| Newsletters | Power to provide information relating to matters affecting local government | Local Government Act 1972, s.142 |
| Nuisances | Power to deal with offensive ditches | Public Health Act 1936, s.260 Public Health Act 1875, s.164 |
| Open spaces | Power to acquire land and maintain | Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.9 and 10 |
| Parish property and documents | Powers to direct as to their custody | Local Government Act 1972, s.226 |
| Postal and telecommunications facilities | Power to pay public telecommunications operators any loss sustained providing post or telegraph office or telecommunication facilities | Post Office Act 1953, s.51 telecommunications Act 1984, s.97 |
| Public buildings and village all | Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies | Local Government Act 1972 s.133 |
| Public conveniences | Power to provide | Public Health Act 1936, s.87 |
| Parks, pleasure grounds | Power to acquire land or to provide recreation grounds, public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them | Public Health Act 1975, s.164 (Local Government Act
1972, Sched.14 para.27) Public Health Acts Amendment Act 1890, s.44 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.9 and 10 |
| Recreation | Power to provide a wide range of recreational
facilities Provision of boating pools |
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976,
s.19 Public Health Act 1961, s.54 |
| Town and Country Planning | Right to be notified of planning applications | Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Sched.1, para.8 |
| Tourism | Power to contribute to organisations encouraging tourism | Local Government Act 1972, s.144 |
| Traffic calming | Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes | Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.26 |
| Transport | Powers to spend money on community transport schemes | Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.26-29 |
| Village signs | Power to use decorative signs to inform visitors | Local Government Act 1972, s.144 |
| War memorials | Power to maintain, repairs, protect and adapt war memorials | War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923, s.1; as extended by Local Government Act 1948, s.133 |
| Water supply | Power to use well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water therefrom | Public Health Act 1936, s.125 |
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